


Not Fade Away

by lalablue0



Series: 413am [11]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baby Jason Todd, Death as a character, Destiny as a character - Freeform, Gen, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, POV Alternating, Smol Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29028885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalablue0/pseuds/lalablue0
Summary: Jason Todd was reborn. Dr Leslie signed the birth certificate. Alfred bought the diapers. Bruce rocked the baby to sleep.Where did that leave him?Start over. What does that look like?
Series: 413am [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017310
Comments: 15
Kudos: 60





	Not Fade Away

**Author's Note:**

> My summary sucks, sorry. 
> 
> A little something to help explain things.

**

_Clark's POV_   
  


Clark was brushing his teeth when he heard it. 

“Un- uncle Clawk. I’m sca’ed.”

The tiny voice echoed around his brain for the briefest of moments; Clark took off as fast as he could. 

Ten seconds ago he was in his pajamas, getting ready for bed. Now he is in full Superman uniform and listening intently in the woods outside of Wayne Manor. 

_ Sniff _

Superman stopped just short of the four year old. Jason looked up at him and immediately brightened. 

“Uncle Clawk! You hea’ded me,” Jason said as he stood from the curled up little ball he had turned himself into when he was alone. “Can you help me get home?”

Jason raised his arms and Superman immediately scooped the young boy up. He could feel Jason shivering. He wondered how long the child had been out in this weather. He wrapped his cape a few times around his small frame and began walking toward the manor. 

“How did you end up way out here?”

“I wanaway,” Jason said matter of factly.

“You ran away? Why on earth would you want to do that?” He questioned. 

“I hafta find Mama,” Jason said in an exasperated tone, as if he was tired of explaining himself.

“Hmm. And you thought that going out in the middle of the night by yourself was the best way to accomplish that?”

Jason pouted. “Daddy wouldn’t take me. He said it was too late.”

Superman nodded. “It is rather late. You should be in bed.”

Superman entered the clearing at the back of the manor. He saw that the household was up and Bruce was pacing in the west wing. He must have tripped a sensor of some sort, because Bruce came running through the manor and out the back porch. 

“Jason? Jason! Oh my boy, I was so worried. Where did you go?” Bruce rambled as he ran out in his robe and slippers. He pulled him from Superman’s grasp and held him close. 

“I heard him call for me. He was scared and -,” 

“Jason Peter Todd. What were you thinking?” Bruce scolded.

“I want my Mommy,” Jason cried. 

Bruce squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his grip on Jason. Jason wailed into Bruce’s chest. “Oh, baby, I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s okay.”

Bruce wrapped his robe around Jason and began walking him back into the manor. Bruce threw a stilted, “Thank you for finding him and bringing him home,” before disappearing inside. 

Damian and Fiona trailed behind Bruce, leaving Superman alone with Alfred. 

“Thank you,” Alfred said curtly and bowed to him as he, too, retreated inside. 

Superman watched the lights go out as the family ascended to their rooms. He listened as Bruce murmured gentle reassurances to Jason. He only left when Jason’s heart rate beat steady with sleep. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  
  


The Batcam is what Bruce believed to be one of Tim’s greatest feats of engineering. The device was so powerful and compact that he could easily make it the hottest item at Wayne Enterprises. 4K resolution, crystal clear audio, night vision, an unlimited power source, and WiFi transmission of live streaming or one terabyte of internal storage all housed in a unit no more than a millimetre wide and thick. Seriously, brilliant mind that son of his. 

Bruce had Alfred fix the squeaky hinges on his bedroom door. WD-40 really is a wondrous product. 

Bruce knew exactly which floorboards creaked under his weight and which were solidly quiet. 

Bruce didn’t close his door completely that night. Opting instead to close it just enough that from the dark hall it looked closed. 

“Mmmmammaa,” the baby monitors gentle static sounded softly next to Bruce’s head. 

Bruce laid still and continued to breathe evenly. He tried to maintain the appearance of sleep, by controlling his breathing and heart rate. He could feel the tightening in his chest as his heart rate threatened to give him away. 

The eye mask hid the video playing before his eyes. 

He knew he heard something the other night. He knew she would return. It was faint but he just picked up the melody she hummed over the crib. Jason’s eyes drifted closed and his breath evened out. 

League assassins spread out throughout the manor and her grounds. The one that kept watch over Bruce in the shadows of the corner of his room was just creepy. 

Talia brushed the short strands of chestnut hair from Jason’s forehead. The soft feather touches were almost lovingly tender. If there hadn’t been such venom in her features he might have allowed her to continue. As it was, a bright green glowing vial was produced from her scabbard. 

Bruce could not waste time dispatching the assassin in his room and made a break straight from his bed to Jason’s room across the hall. 

There was a single loud burst of a firearm discharge from Fiona’s room next door. The rubber bullet undoubtedly hit its mark. The sound caused Jason to stir. Bruce caught her before she could do whatever it was she was going to do. 

The house was in lockdown. No one in. No one out. He had her pinned down on the floor while Jason screamed from his crib. Damian stood in the doorway and cut down two members of the league before he was able to lock the door. 

“What are you doing here?” Bruce growled. 

“Returning him to the fold,” Talia responded, bitterly. 

“What does that mean? What do you mean?” Bruce demanded, as he roughly pulled her up from the floor. He began stripping her of her visible weaponry. 

“He needs to be retrained. Father is willing to let him live if he is returned to the fold,”

“You can not have him,” Damian said as he offered comfort to the crying babe in the crib. 

“The manor is surrounded, my army will crush your defenses and will kill you,” Talia softened her gaze at Damian, “We can be a family again. We will raise Jason as the warrior he is meant to be.”

Bruce stripped the last of the weaponry that he could find. He forced her to her feet but held her firmly in his grip. 

Bruce pointed down to the vial filled with what was undoubtedly water from a Lazarus bath. The liquid glowed an eerie green. “What were planning to do with that, huh?”

“Ra’s can no longer feel Jason. The effects of the pit are no longer within him.”

“So what? You were going to pour the water over him?” Bruce questioned.

Damian blanched. “No. She was going to make him drink it. You would do that to him? Like you did to me?”

“Think of it, my son, we can go home. You can keep your new brother and train him to be the best the League has ever seen . He’ll be -.”

“No, Mother. This is our home.”

Talia smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Damian. My beloved. His destiny lies beyond what you can provide. He needs to be prepared for what’s coming.”

“What’s coming?” Bruce and Damian asked in unison. 

Talia smiled again. Bruce recognized this look as predatory. A soft knock came at the bedroom door. Talia’s eyes widened. He recognized that she knew that this was not part of her plan. 

“We got them all. It’s safe to come out,” the voice on the other side of the door spoke. 

“What? No! Impossible!” Talia claimed as Bruce shifted her toward the door. 

Bruce opened the door and revealed Superman. Superman scanned Talia up and down and a moment later, several throwing stars and a dagger were tossed into the hallway. 

“You will leave and never return to Gotham. You will never come near Jason again. Do I make myself clear?” Bruce stated firmly.

Talia growled softly. The hall outside was filled with members of the Justice League. Powerful allies standing in Bruce’s corner to protect what she cannot have. She had barely finished uttering her affirmative response when she was whisked away from the manor at lightning speed. She was surrounded by her bound and unconscious assassins, face to face with the one known as Superman. 

“There will come a time, in the very near future, when I will have that child,” Talia stated as he began to walk away.

Superman turned on his heel and walked right up to her face. “You agreed to leave Jason alone.”

“He is not Jason without the effects of the Lazarus waters.”

Superman smirked. “You’re right. He’ll be a normal little boy.” His face shifted to serious, “Jason is under the protection of the Justice League. Aside from breaking and entering, you have committed no crime. Come after him again, you don’t get another warning.”

Superman didn’t stick around for her reply. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  


John pulled a cigarette from the pack and placed it between his lips. He used his left hand to block the wind while lighting the cigarette with his right. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. 

“You are unexpected,” John said as turned around. 

Jason stepped out of the shadows.

“Truly unexpected,” John huffed as he took another drag. 

Jason wasn’t sure what led him to John Constantine. He didn’t know why he heard the man’s British lilt in his head one evening and thought maybe, maybe, he could tell him what the hell was going on. 

“I need your help,” Jason started, “Something’s happened and I’m not sure what.”

“You died, that’s what,” John stated bluntly.

“How did you-?”

“Come on, mate. Why don’t we head in and get ourselves a pint?” John pointed to the pub behind him. 

Jason nodded. 

  
  


“And when I woke up on the floor, everything was different.”

“You woke up in your safe house?”

“Yeah. All my scars were gone. The white patch of hair from the Lazarus pit was gone. And - I - I am no longer circumcised,” Jason admitted. 

John’s eyebrows hiked up his forehead. 

“So let me get this straight - You parlayed with Death?”

Jason carded a hand through his hair causing it spike dramatically. “Yeah, we’re old friends.”

John stared at him. 

“It’s a thing with us. Apparently I have died a few times. We hang out in their realm till I get sent back.”

“You hang out?” John scoffed. He sat back in his chair and shook his head, “What is with you Wayne’s. You keep strange company.”

Jason sat back in his seat and looked down at his hands. “Well it’s not like I actively seek Death.”

John cocked his head to the side and smirked. 

Jason sighed, “You know what I mean.”

“So Death sent you back, but also sent a baby to take your place?” John appeared just as confused as Jason felt. 

“I don’t understand it either,” Jason acknowledged. 

“You know nothing of the destiny that Death talked about.”

“Clueless.” 

John sat bat against the pleather backed booth and took another chug off his pint. 

“Your old man is going freak.”

Jason leaned back in his seat and put his hands on the sticky table. “I need more info. They seem to think the baby is me.”

“The baby _ is _ you.”

“When I heard your voice in my head the other night, I pinged your phone. You were in Ethiopia...”

“Yeah, mate. You left a little part of your soul behind a few years ago. I put it back.”

Jason slumped in his seat, “I know that impossible things exist. My whole life is the ultimate example that impossible things exist. I just - I just don’t get it. There is some greater force at work and I am a fucking pawn in my own life.”

“There’s always some greater force at work, kiddo. Everywhere, every time, every Earth. Something is always stacking the deck. Something is always trying to twist fate. We’re all fucking pawns, mate.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It was the eve of his twenty second birthday. Why the hell was he so emotional about Tim? He had a strong desire to hug his brother. Why couldn’t he hug him? 

Maybe because he is halfway across the country getting ready for sophomore year. But he has the strongest urge to hug Tim. 

When the feeling goes away; it is replaced by a feeling of easy contentment. 

  
  
  
  
  


**

  
  


He was choking. He couldn’t breath. What the hell? He could feel the veins and tendons in his neck straining because he couldn’t fucking breath. 

He tried pounding on his stomach. Trying to give himself the Heimlich maneuver. That didn’t work. 

He felt the bile rising in his throat. He covered his mouth and made it to sink in time to vomit his breakfast. 

He inhaled deeply and resisted the urge to cry. 

He had to get back to Gotham. He already stayed away too long.

  
  


***

  
  
  


Overwhelming fear. He’s felt fear before. He’s felt his fear before. 

He’s hid in the closet. His whole body shook. With the fear, was also sadness. Loneliness. He wanted to go home. He wanted his daddy. He also had a strong urge to piss. 

For hours he hid inside his closet. For hours he tried to fight the fear he felt. The feelings weren’t his. Over the years he had gotten better at deflecting the feelings. The more intense little Jason’s emotions were, the harder it was for adult Jason to resist those emotions. 

He finally felt safe enough to emerge from the closet at  **4:13am** . 

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


It isn’t all the time. It seemed random to him. Why he could channel his younger self was beyond his comprehension. 

In the beginning it was moments of comfort he seemed to feel the most. Usually accompanied by the taste of sour milk. And warmth. That first year he spent warm and cozy. 

He had a few moments of sheer terror like the time he was choking. Or the time he felt so lost and alone that Jason actually started looking at flights back to Gotham to find his younger self and figure out how he could help. 

Jason figured out that the closer he was physically; the stronger the connection. It was what led to his decision to go to school on the west coast. 

If he was truly going to start over, he would start over. No more Red Hood. Bruce had taken over the Red Hoods territories and ran them. One of the benefits of being a former kingpin was he knew where the money was. 

After he had escaped Ra’s; for the first time in his life he didn’t know what he was going to do. He had no plans for this eventuality. Before he died the first time, he expected his path to be similar to Dick’s. Leave the manor for college. He loved school. 

No more heroics. Though if he were to be honest, saving everyone in his dorm when there was a CO2 leak was a bit exhilarating. He saved his heroics for the wrestling team. Without the scars and the white forelock, his bulk was just as intimidating. He looked like a big dumb jock. So he played one. If he accidentally busted a few heads now and again in service toward his fellow classmates, well, that was his business. 

  
  


**

  
  
  
  


Jason used Talia’s arrival to distract from his breaking in and planting a few eyes and ears around the manor. He still didn’t understand why there were two. It wasn’t like he had Deaths phone number and could call up and ask. So he placed listening devices where he thought he might catch conversations about the situation. Was it a situation? Situations by definition can be resolved. He could only think of two possible resolutions. Neither appealed to him particularly.

He made sure that all his old secret passages were still intact. Piggybacking on Bruce’s own security surveillance was easier than he expected. He downloaded the files from the mainframe for August 16th. Maybe there was something in the videos that could explain how they got the baby. 

He hoped the places he bugged, like Bruce’s bedroom, where the infant currently took up residence, might give him the best leads to what the hell is going on. Alfred had obviously started remodeling Dick’s old bedroom for a nursery. The muted yellows and greens were peaceful compared to the deep rich browns and reds that used to cover the walls. 

Jason was surprised that Bruce left the baby with Alfred. Not that Alfred wouldn’t protect a child, especially one that he thought was Jason. He didn’t think that Talia meant the child any harm, but after watching the footage of her interaction with B and Demon Spawn, he was sure that Ra’s would. 

“I’m not sure if I should be confused or impressed. I may go with the latter. How is this possible?” Talia asked as Jason revealed himself from the darkness of the tree line. 

“I don’t know. What I do know is that you need to tell Ra’s that the child isn’t who he thinks it is,”

Jason started, “You need to tell him that I faked my death. The baby is just a coincidence.”

Talia seemed to be looking into him. He was used to the scrutiny of her gaze. “You would have me lie to him?”

“You were going to anyway.”

“I heard Alfred’s account of your rebirth. I trust his version of events.”

Jason tilted his head as he listened to Talia. He must have missed that conversation, because he would really like to hear it himself. “What are his version of events?”   
  


Talia smirked. She realized that he truly had no idea what happened. “You died. Again.”

“Yeah, I know that part. I just don’t get how the baby fits in.”

“According to the butler, your adult body was consumed in a blinding white light. When that faded, your adult body was replaced with that of the child.”

Jason blinked hard. He inhaled deeply as he prepared a witty retort, but the words died on his lips. Jason’s mind was both filled with a million thoughts and completely blank at the same time. He glitched. That was the only term he could think of that applied. He glitched like a crappy WiFi connection. 

“What happened to you?”

“I died.”

“But you came back as an adult,” Talia caressed the side of Jason’s face. 

“I guess destiny has other plans for me,” Jason said softly. 

Talia shook her head, “The effects of the Larazus pit are still within you; as they are with the little one. One soul. Two bodies…”

Jason felt the air shift and he shut his eyes. “I’ll go willingly, if you - and the League stay away from the kid.”

“You know what he will do to you?”

“To me. Not the kid. He’s innocent.”

“What of your innocence?”

“Died in that warehouse in Ethiopia.”

Talia nodded and Jason was instantly surrounded by League assassins. Jason followed Talia into the night. 

  
  
  
  


***

  
  


Destiny and Death are otherworldly entities that tend to exist in their own realms. They could walk among the human plane without being seen or affecting those around them. They are also able to possess a human vessel if they chose. Most otherworldly entities can. Chronos, Mother Nature, Hades. Jack Frost is an asshole for possessing snowmen. Angels, demons and many gods and demigods were also known to temporarily hijack people on occasion.

  
  


“What did you do?”

“Oh, look who finally decided to show their face?”

“What did you do? The life was reborn. You also returned him? As an adult, no less. What were you thinking?”

Destiny huffed. “I was wondering the same about you. Why would you send him back as a baby?”

“The life deserved to start over.”

“His destiny was not yet fulfilled. You had no right to do that.”

“You split his soul.”

“You split his mind.”

“Cousin, neither can live while the other survives.”

“Oh my God, did you just Harry Potter prophecy me?”

“You know how dangerous splitting a soul can be. You had no business with their soul in the first place.” 

“Yeah and splitting the mind between an adult and an infant is so much better.”

“He wanted to go back but knowing what he knew.”

“Yeah well, binding them has the same effect. Why would you think that was a good idea?”

“We looked into their future.”

“You should have consulted me.”

“You changed their destiny.”

“You changed it when you returned him as a baby.” 

“You changed all their destinies.”

“A ripple effect from your actions.” 

“Billions will suffer.”

“You should have consulted with me.”

“You need to make this right.”

“You first.”

“We cannot take a life.”

Destiny pulled a face that seemed to say ‘Uhhhh? Yeah, you can.’

“We cannot take this life.”

“You would let the humans go extinct.”

“…”

“For him?”

“…”

“A gutter rat? For this hairless ape, you would risk the end of humanity? The apocalypse? Really?” 

“The life is precious to us. We will risk no harm to it.”

Destiny blinked hard and swallowed, “He’s your successor. He’s to become Death.”

“He will reap us and we will welcome and thank him.”

“You bitch.”

“It is our destiny.”

“You made him little again so you’d have more time.”

“…”

“You bitch.”

“We do not control destiny.”

“Nor do I. I am but destiny’s keeper.”

“Then perhaps, next time you’ll keep up. This is better, is it not?”

“Look at the fates of everyone in their orbit. Look and see how many die because of them. Look how many suffer. Look how entropy reigns because of your hubris, your choice.”

“It was not our choice. We do not decide which life gets to return to mortal coil. We only - facilitate the return.”

“Bullshit. Heaven and Hell haven’t issued orders in eons. This is all you.”

“So what if it is? We can set the board once in a while. We will not take this life. Their future is set. We will watch with anticipation their fate unfold.”

“When did you start getting so poetic? It’s kind of annoying.”

“You’re annoying.”

“You’re the one who busted in on me. Who are you wearing by the way?”

“This old thing. We found it long ago. No one was home, so we borrow it from time to time.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  


He checked his phone again. She was never late. Not without calling. 

“I’m sorry I’m late. They rerouted Broad Street through the tunnel again. I had to go all the way around,” Delia said as hurried over to the table he reserved. 

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t seen her walk in. He stood and helped her out of her coat and pulled out the chair for her. He bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“Such a gentleman,” Delia crooned. 

“Are you sure we’re going to have time for dinner? Don’t you have to pick Jason up in midtown?”

“Oh, you didn’t get my message?” 

He pulled out his phone again and shook his head.

“Jason’s dad brought him to his appointment today. I,” she smiled, “am off for the rest of the night.” 

He reached across the table and took her hand in his, returning her smile. “Well aren’t we a lucky pair.” 

When he returned to Gotham he had this idea of how things were going to happen. The one thing he hadn’t counted on was her. For one, when he came back to Gotham, Jason had a different nanny. Then the Joker happened. He couldn’t plan on her. She was a wildcard - in every sense of the word. 

He thought maybe he could glean some inside information in the Wayne household by making friends with Delia. But she quickly became someone he could talk to. Actually have an intelligent meaningful conversation with. Every moment he was reminded of how easily it could - would blow up in his face. He really liked her. 

In three weeks time is the parent/teacher conference. He will come face to face with Bruce for the first time in five and half years. His last personal memory of Bruce was on the rooftop at the end of a long patrol. Then waking up in his safe house. He couldn’t stop it from happening at this point. He was either going to get hit in the face, a hug or, his least favourite option, he wouldn’t be recognized. No matter what happens then, he was going to enjoy the hell out of these next three weeks. Enjoy the hell out of her while he could. 

“Whoo hoo. Earth to Tom. Are you okay, babe?”

He scrunched up his face and tried to pretend that he wasn’t just caught daydreaming. “Would you believe me if I said that I was so enraptured by your beauty that I forgot about everything else for a moment?”

Delia giggled and it made him grin like a mad man. Or a man madly in love. 

Yeah. So not a part of the plan. 

He leaned across the table and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He could feel himself smile as he pulled away from the kiss. He opened his eyes and was stunned at what he saw. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and shook his head.

“Your hair,” he said.

Delia started and pulled a small lock toward her face. Her normally blue hair had shifted to a rosy pink, that was quickly shifting again to a vibrant yellow, then to a stark white. 

Delia dropped the lock of hair and covered her gasp as she looked around the dining room and saw all eyes on her. She stood quickly, gathering her coat. He blinked in confusion as he watched her dash from the restaurant in tears. He felt all their eyes settle on him. He stood and tossed a fifty dollar bill on the table and chased after her. 

His only thought was of her. The old Jason would have had a snarky comment for the nosy people in the restaurant. He bit his tongue. He knew that he needed to get to her. He almost passed her by; her hair had shifted to black. 

It would seem the shifting was tied to her mood. Rosy pink for love. Yellow for embarrassment. White for fear. Black for sadness. 

“Babe, are you okay?”

“I’m so sorry. I should have told you.”

“You don’t have to apologize. That’s a pretty cool power.”

He caught her look of confusion and he raised his hands as if in surrender. 

“You’re not scared of me?”

“Because your hair changed colours?”

“ Because I’m a Meta.”

“Of course not,” he started, “unless you can shoot laser bolts out of your fingers, then maybe,” he scrunched up his face and laughed. 

Delia paused and looked off into the distance like she was considering whether that was indeed a power she possessed.

“Wait! Can you shoot lasers out of your fingers?”

Delia scratched absently at her head while she seemed to consider that she may very likely possess said power. “I don’t know. I never tried. I don’t even know exactly what my powers are. I know that I can manipulate atoms.”

“Manipulate atoms?” He questioned.

She held her hand up and said, “Like, I can turn oxygen atoms solid and make a force field.”

He reached out to touch her extended hand and was stopped by an invisible force. He was flabbergasted. He huffed out a small laugh.This was definitely not part of his plan.

“Okay, maybe not lasers. But if you can manipulate atoms, maybe you could shoot lightning from your fingers.”

Delia’s eyes widened and she scoffed, “How?”

“Charge the electrons in the atoms around you.” He stated plainly.

He smirked as he looked down at the petite woman in front of him. He shifted to move behind her. He raised her arm from her side and aimed her hand toward a garbage bin across the way. Immediately he noticed her hair shifted to white again. 

“Do you trust me?”

Delia looked back to him and smiled. Her hair shifted from white to pink to red. The late afternoon sky followed. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
